Chapter 4:

As the sword met the protections they shimmered in a variety of colours as they strained against it. There was a stalemate for a few moments before his sword broke through as he pushed a bit more magic into it. As the others were giving out sighs of relief and looking curiously at the artefact that was now revealed, Harry knew that the work was not done. He grounded his feet and brought his sword back up simultaneously channelling more magic through it, this time willing it into the form of a transparent shield as he waited for the backlash from the breaking.

The magic built up and rushed towards the breach to crash against his protections. The point of their meeting was a place where brightly coloured flashes of light met his shied which presented as a slight shimmer in the air. The force was greater than Harry expected, he could feel the power of the magic through his shield and for a split second he feared that it would break through. However, he pushed that thought away and focused pushing more magic into his shield and was rewarded as a few seconds later the rush of magic died, leaving spots in his eyes as the flashing colours disappeared. It was only then that he turned around to question the others and found them looking at him in confusion.

"Didn't you expect the magical backlash?" he asked, guessing the answer already that they hadn't and so were curious as to his actions after the ward had fallen, the more magically inclined members probably felt the aftermath.

"What is a magical backlash?" Even though it was Eragon who asked this question, the confusion was mirrored on the face of Arya and even Saphira had her head cocked to one side and was awaiting his answer. Harry never thought he would get to see such an expression on the face of another dragon, and barely contained his amusement.

The others though curious were more subdued in their reactions, he guessed because they weren't well versed in magic to know the extent of the anomalous behaviour. His mind was running a mile a minute trying to figure out the probable causes of the reaction and its lack thereof in this world but he pushed such thoughts to a corner of his mind. They might as well wait for later when he had a better grasp of this magic and anyway he had explanations to make and another, bigger ward to bring down.

"The brief explanation would be that it is the magic remaining after a ward is simply torn apart instead of being unravelled layer by layer or weakened over a period of time. The magic of the ward tries to sustain itself and so rushes towards the point of breach creating the magical backlash. This happens especially in cases of wards which have reinforcements" he said gesturing towards the now visible staff behind him.

"How come I have never heard of this or experienced it…" Eragon asked and with a sidelong glance at Arya continued "... and neither from her expression has Arya".

Harry did not have an answer…yet and was thinking on his reply when Nasuada cut off his thoughts and brought all of their attentions back on the matter at hand.

"I don't think it matters much at this point. The finer points can be discussed later. For now, the priority is to bring down the outer ward…unless of course you believe that this anomaly will repeat itself?" she asked looking at Arya and Eragon but also with a side glance at Harry himself. It pleased him to discover that he must have gained a small amount of her trust or acceptance for her to question him, however, indirectly.

He looked to the other magic wielders in the group - Arya and Eragon to see if an answer was forthcoming but found them looking at him instead. Blast it. He didn't want the responsibility that came with making decisions again but fate was not on his side.

"I am not sure but from everything I know about wards, it is the norm. Why you haven't encountered it yet is not something I can answer but I think we should expect that this ward too will have backlash if I bring it down like the previous one. I don't think we should take that route because the more area the ward covers the larger is the area of the backlash and while we may be able to protect ourselves from it, the people outside will have no defence."

Everybody looked pensive at his answer. Eragon seemed to be thinking hard and by the looks of it, he was having a conversation with Saphira presumably discussing options. The others simply seemed to be waiting for the magical members of the group to come to a conclusion as to how to tackle the problem. Harry appreciated their restraint as they were holding the many questions they clearly had as they gave them the space to think.

His attention was drawn towards Arya who was moving towards the now visible staff which had been mostly ignored by them in the discussion that had started. Harry too took the chance to inspect it more closely now that he had the chance since his previous glimpse had been brief and from afar. As he moved forwards, he glanced up to see Hedwig flying just above the dome, she looked agitated and she must be since she had not been able to contact him. In the heat of battle he hadn't noticed their connection breaking since he had mostly withdrawn from it to focus on the fight. Now that he was aware he keenly felt the emptiness and winced as he imagined her reaction when the ward was brought down. He thought of simply going to her, but thought better of it since it would not endear him to the Varden leaders.

To the naked eye the stave was a simple piece of dark wood, the only distinguishing feature being crystal on top that seemed to give off a small light. To his magical senses however, it reeked of power. Reviewing his conversations with Murtagh about the power of the dwarven magicians, the one who enchanted this must have spent a lot of time pouring energy into the crystal. Breaking it directly would not work since the magic and energy stored would be released directly into the surrounding area and the amount of power that was contained could do a lot of damage. He heard Arya sigh beside him. Her next words indicated that she seemed to be thinking along the same lines as him.

"Well breaking it is out of the question. The energy released would be immense and we are in no position to shield against it, though I don't know about your limits." She said eyeing him critically. He could see how much it cost her to admit her ignorance much like someone he knew.

"I wouldn't want to risk it", he answered. Had it been his world he was sure that given a few minutes of preparation he could have weathered it, but he still didn't know the exact interactions between the different types of magics and his struggle with the previous ward had made him a bit wary. He was out of his depth here. He looked at Arya and she seemed to be concentrating on something and then she beckoned to Eragon.

"Take a look at the crystal with your senses."

Harry observed as Eragon's face cleared of all expressions as he concentrated on the crystal.

"It's so simple I can't believe we didn't think of it. We simply drain the crystal of the energy it contains."

Harry blinked and then blinked again. He extended his mind towards the crystal and sure enough there were no protections against the energy being siphoned off. He was so used to the runes protecting crystals in his world that he hadn't even thought of this option.

"It seems we may have overestimated our enemies. While the attack was well planned I doubt they thought it through this far." He thought out aloud.

"Or maybe they expected us to bring down the ward forcefully and perish in the backlash…..and were it not for you it could very well have been the case." Eragon countered.

"Maybe, but I don't think you would have been rash enough to try to bring the ward down through brute force without examining it thoroughly first" Harry thought, thinking back to the numerous techniques curse breakers used to assure their safety before employing such a method- things that Harry could mostly forego due to his rare ability to sense magic, or at least rare in his world. Eragon looked a somewhat pleased at his compliment.

You give my rider too much credit, snake eyes. He has a unique propensity for jumping into situations without thinking things through and attracting trouble. Saphira's voice echoed in his head. Eragon now was looking faintly embarrassed probably reminiscing some of those incidents. Harry smothered his laughter out of politeness.

"Don't you think we should get to work on the staff?" Eragon said probably to escape being the source of their humour but he was correct nonetheless. The group sobered at once realising their situation.

"I have a belt that needs replenishing, Arya do you have any gems on you?" Eragon continued once everyone was focused back on topic. Harry was confused by his odd question especially since it had been Eragon who had pointed out the need to focus on the staff.

"No, but now that you mention I should remedy that once I get the chance." Arya looked a bit irritated as if that was something she should have thought of herself, something which confused Harry even more. Eragon nodded once as if in understanding and then turned towards Harry.

"You're welcome to share, you seem to have gems aplenty", he said pointing to the sword of Gryffindor.

"I don't understand. Share what and what do gems have to do with anything?" he asked.

"Share the energy, of course. There is plenty there for both of us. Surely you know that it can be stored in gems and transferred. After all you would have needed some help in besting Murtagh…"

He suddenly stiffened pausing in mid-speech, Harry assumed Saphira had taken him to task for his lack of tact. Harry was in even more confusion than before and lost in thoughts at what Eragon's sentence had implied. As far as he had known, magic was to wild to be stored, wizards had tried for centuries to do so but it simply dissipated. The best they could come up with was forming it into a spell and tying that to an object- enchanting. He had assumed that the stave in front of him was simply an enchanted object holding up the ward or a focal point for it. He heard Eragon apologising to him for doubting his capabilities but was far too gone in his thoughts to care. If what Eragon had hinted about magic being stored in the crystal was true it went against centuries of experiences of his world.

That was pure magic, a voice in his head said; people here used their very life force, the energy in their bodies to power their spells. It would be more tied to the physical world and thus far more controllable. The possibilities that opened with this revelation were endless. Abruptly, his mind flashed back to the point where Murtagh had told him about sharing energy with Thorn in a show of trust. Then he had simply assumed that the two were very compatible due to their bond, but now that explanation seemed absurd. They were of two completely different species; no way they were that compatible- it was a rarity for two people to have such compatible magics to be able to completely share it. In his world the last such pairs were the founders and that was the reason why the wards around Hogwarts were so strong. However, if what Eragon said was true energy could be shared between any two beings no matter compatibility, since the life energy in everyone was more or less the same.

"Harry…?" He came back to his senses to find all of them looking at him. He had once again lost himself to his thoughts, hadn't he? He would have been blushing if he didn't have such good control over his emotions.

"Er…I lost myself there for a minute. I hadn't known that magic could be stored or shared this way, I simply lost myself in the possibilities that this brings forth." He saw no reason not to admit his ignorance. His strength lay in his different way of wielding magic and he knew they would be fools not to recognise that after his demonstrations today.

Eragon was looking at him disbelievingly. However, it amused Harry to see that he controlled any outbursts or questions he may have had, presumably at Saphira's prompting if the sidelong glance he shot her was any indication.

"Very well, it's not very hard. I doubt that it would take you very long to get it since you already know how to reach out with your mind. Just touch the crystal with your mind and direct the energy to wherever you want to store it. Gems are the best of course, the purer and bigger the gem the more energy that can be stored. Having contact with the items between which the energy is being transferred helps but isn't necessary." He said finishing the impromptu lesson. Harry had been listening with rapt attention. It didn't sound too hard.

"Thank you" Harry said, truly glad that Eragon was willing to impart knowledge without asking for anything no matter how common such knowledge maybe for this world, though he had a feeling that it wasn't very well known despite being possible.

"We had better get on with it", he said, shooting a sidelong glance at the other leaders he could see the hint of impatience in their eyes, they were slowly but surely losing the high spirits from after winning the fight. Nasuada, Orrin and Hrothgar were engaged in conversation while the Urgal leader- he couldn't remember his name, listened passing on occasional comments now and then. They were shooting periodic glances at his group probably wondering what was taking so long but still loath to disturb them, while looking at the people of the Varden accumulated outside with worry.

He could see Eragon had already gone to work by the glazed look in his eyes. Arya was simply standing there waiting for them to finish. While she hid it well, he could see the contained frustration in her at not being able to help.

"You can use the gemstones on my sword to store energy if you want and later when you find your own I'll be happy to give it back". She looked indecisive about his offer so he continued. "It'll make things go faster and we are short on time", he gestured towards the Varden people milling outside.

She too looked outside and that seemed to make up her mind, "Very well then, your sword please. I need to look at where I will store the energy."

He brought up his sword for her inspection and she pointed out two gems on which she would be focused and then turned towards the sword. Harry too did so but he closed his eyes, he didn't want distractions as this was the first time he was trying this out and he dearly wanted to learn this technique, it would be of immense help later.

He reached out with his magical senses towards the staff ignoring the living presences nearby. It was like a magical beacon, he could vaguely sense Eragon and Arya's minds as he touched the well spring of energy in the crystal atop the staff. He paid them no attention as he focused on his task. Cautiously, he willed some of that energy to pass into him. Immediately he felt the energy washing into him and refreshing him. As he allowed the amount to increase, he could feel the small amount of fatigue he was feeling wash away completely and he felt fully rested and content. However, the energy continued to come though he could feel the staff draining bit by bit from the efforts of Eragon and Arya. Now, totally refreshed Harry allowed a bit more of the energy to pass into him feeling stronger by the second, he wondered how long he could continue before pushing such thoughts aside. Experiments could wait, right now was not the time for them. He allowed the excess energy to drain from him through his hand and into a gem on the sword which eagerly accepted it. Harry felt a certain relief, though he had believed Eragon when he had told him about this technique, he had a small degree of scepticism in some part of him feeling that what they were doing was something else but now he was sure. He allowed his connection with the staff to widen and a rush of energy suffused his being, which he allowed to drain into the sword. He could feel Arya doing the same. Slowly, the amount in the sword decreased and finally there was nothing more to channel, he withdrew his mind.

"You got that very quickly and the amount you could channel was quite large too", Eragon was looking at him with undisguised curiosity and Harry could practically feel all the questions he wanted to ask but withheld due to the circumstances.

"I have been practicing magic for a long time", was his simple reply accompanied by a small smile, details could wait for later. "Now we should see about that ward, it is weakened and with a very weak focus crystal…or energy source supporting it, taking it down should be easy. I don't think there should be any significant backlash. I'll still take it down with magic gradually weakening it to prevent any harm to people outside although it seems matters are getting under control", he said spying a figure clad in shawls who seemed to be getting things under control, ordering even what seemed like the commanders of the army around to get some semblance of order and push people back from the vicinity of the shield. She had succeeded in creating a buffer space between the Varden and the shield which was occupied only by soldiers and the occasional magician who could be distinguished by the fact that they were the ones standing completely still.

"That is Angela. She is our resident herbalist. A bit odd but quite handy in a fight and I don't know how but she has a knack for getting people to listen to her when she wants her way". This time it was Nasuada who answered Harry's question, he nodded to show that he had heard her answer. She had come closer to them after they had completed draining the question and must have noticed where Harry was looking.

"Well, I'll get on with the ward unless you see any flaw in the plan", he asked the others. On getting no objections from them he drew his wand and taking a few steps away from Nasuada, he aimed it upwards at where he assumed was the centre of the dome of magic that covered them while the others looked on in barely concealed interest.

"Expulso", he said, though it wasn't strictly necessary for him to do so, letting loose the magic he had called up on the protections. As he saw the blue beam issuing from his wand to crash against the protections, Harry recalled Bill Weasley instructing him on how a skilled wizard could focus the explosion to break down or weaken magical protections that were too powerful or complex for the general counter spell without resorting to more complex techniques. He watched with interest as the spell collided with the top of the dome making the whole thing light up in a spectrum of colours as it struggled against his spell. As Harry continued to pour energy into his spell the colour of his beam brightened while the dome started flashing and becoming dull until the protections fell with nary a sound bringing an anti-climactic end to their imprisonment.

Harry barely had any time to bring his wand down, or appreciate the sudden silence that had descended over the main body of the Varden - presumably because of the light show they had just witnessed, before he was beset with a very angry and worried owl both in his mind and physically.

"Ow…Hedwig…it wasn't my fault", he tried to beat her off while sending soothing emotions in her mind. "I didn't know there would be assassins…" he winced as her wings beat against his head. "I didn't have time….yes I'll be careful next time, will you give it a rest….Ow, that hurt…are you happy now?" He paused registering what he had said and then moved to placate her before she picked up on it. "Of course not…you wouldn't be happy hurting me…I'm sorry….I didn't mean that, it won't happen again. Good girl." She had finally settled down on his shoulder and her emotions too were calm though he could tell she wasn't completely happy with him but wasn't willing to further embarrass him in public. In public…crap! He could feel the smug feelings emanating from Hedwig and that somehow made everything worse. Gathering what little dignity he had left, he turned to the leaders who were joined by the herbalist …Angela, a dwarf and a soldier…high ranking from the look of it and all of them had various looks of amusement on their faces. While the others were trying to hide it somewhat once it was clear his attention was turned on them, Angela was openly smirking. The best course he decided was to forge onwards like a true Gryffindor.

"Er….this is my familiar, Hedwig." Seeing the looks of incomprehension on their faces he started to explain, but reconsidered. At this point it would probably bring up more questions considering the only bonds they knew of were Rider-dragon bonds and those were the result of a pretty heavy duty ritual. "I'll explain later, it's not anything relevant. We have more important matters to concern ourselves with". The bodies of the assassins were still lying about and the people in the crowd were undeniably curious, craning over each other to get a good look. The only thing holding them back was the impromptu perimeter formed by the soldiers and of course the large dragon that was lying down near the tent just a few feet away from the bodies. He noticed that there was a large area surrounding the tent that was empty before the other tents started - probably left so for Saphira. This had allowed the attacking dwarves to set a comparatively large area under the ward with no fear of more help coming in.

His fight with the dwarves had taken place behind the tent while Eragon and the rest had fought in the front. The space all around the tent meant that the soldiers had an easy time establishing the perimeter but the view to the site of the fight was unobstructed. So the front few rows had gotten a good view and Harry could make out a few angry shouts against the dwarves and even Urgals from amongst the general noise of the crowd which had slowly risen since the falling of the dome. It seemed that Nasuada and the others had managed to get a general sense of the crown intentions too judging from the growing frowns on their faces.

"You'll have to make a statement, Nasuada, or the situation could worsen very quickly". It was Hrothgar who made the comment in a worried tone. "Only after that can we get to investigating freely, since I doubt the crowd would allow a group of dwarves through, no matter that they would be trying to catch the culprits."

Nasuada gave a sharp nod and went to consult with the soldier who was standing beside her. Eragon, Arya and Orrin moved to offer their expertise while the second dwarf who had joined them moved to examine the bodies while talking with Hrothgar. That left the Nar Garz..something who was looking at the crowd with a look of distaste on his face and the herbalist…who was looking at him with undisguised curiosity and a smirk on her face.

"You are a curious one aren't you? You've got everything around you in a tizzy!" She came forward. Harry only now noticed how her brown hair was bushy and framed her face. It gave her a look of innocence. However, her eyes gave her away. Though seeming uninterested and distant, they reflected knowledge and had a staggering depth to them apparent to anyone who had practiced the subtler mind arts for any appreciable length of time. It wasn't legilimency- nothing so crude and obvious, but it gave information just the same. He longed to take a deeper look but resisted the temptation both of looking into her mind and of employing his other talents. It was a close thing though, as the feel of her magic reminded him of someone. However, he did get a read of her emotions, it just wasn't possible for him to rein it in fully, and all he felt was curiosity and a sense of excitement and while those were the traits he was used to seeing in Hermione, she wasn't whom the herbalist reminded him of.

As he was ruminating on that, she was observing him. Her gaze sharpened and he was struck by the piercing quality of her eyes, how they seemed to look into his very soul, and though he knew nothing of that kind was happening, nor did he feel any mental intrusion, it was unnerving to be on the end of such a gaze. The moment ended when she gave a delighted laugh which lit up her face and showed light dimples as she pinched his cheek. Harry could feel Hedwig's amusement over the link. He decided not to reply to it- anything would only embarrass him further.

"A mystery, I haven't encountered one such as you before! I'll be keeping an eye out, I dearly hope you stay. First a dragon rider, now you, with your eyes and a special owl to boot….this is the most fun I've had in a long while". She sounded almost giddy as she said this. Harry looked on in bewildered amusement. "Well then, I've got things to do and people to meet". She said as she walked away towards the larger group.

Hrothgar and the other dwarf who were still engrossed in conversation and had been joined by the rest excluding the Urgal who it seems had been observing his interaction with Angela with interest. Harry looked back towards the group and saw Angela joining the conversation. Harry was surprised to see that even in a group made of kings and high ranking people no one objected to her presence. She was one to watch out for.

"There is something about that human that is unique. She treats us no better or worse than she treats others and at Farthen Dur my people remember her as a formidable warrior", the Urgal observed, gesturing towards Angela. "". Then he looked at Harry and for the first time Harry had the full focus of the Urgal's gaze while he was aware of it. "Just as there is something unique about you, Dragon eyes", he said.

"Won't your people be worried about you? There seem to be no Urgals in the crowd?" Harry asked ignoring the Urgal's last sentence. His curiosity was getting the better of him again and if he was to be honest he wanted to avoid another staring match and change the topic.

"They will be, but I left with instructions for them not to interfere with whatever happens. Our alliance does not prevent accidents and eons of rivalry do not disappear with one battle fought together."

"But what if something was to happen to you?" Harry asked.

"Then the humans would be known to be oath breakers and our alliance ended. Even if I brought guards they could not prevail against the forces here in case of treachery, much less against Firesword if he were to join the fight since we won't raise arms against him", he said gesturing towards Eragon. "Their lives would be better spent avenging me". The urgal was smiling, but it was a smile that showed all teeth and on his face was quite fearsome. Still Harry maintained his composure and nodded to show he understood. He made a note to himself that the urgals were not to be underestimated.

"A debt is owed, Harry Dragon-eyes", he said as if tasting the word which was probably new to him. Harry had just begun to wave it off when he continued. "No, let me speak. The serpent-tongued oath breaker would see us all dead and if he could he would pursue us even to the Hiernamaals …the great beyond. Fortunately that is beyond him". He shook his head. "The only one that stands between him and us is Eragon…and you saved his freedom and saved us. Should there be a time where you require assistance my clan shall answer your call except against Eragon himself. Him we shall not stand against".

Harry didn't know why the Urgal was being so forward. However, it would be foolish to turn down freely given aid despite the fact that he had just been given a new name to add to his already long list. Hedwig seemed to enjoy the new name…darn bird, she had been taking far too many liberties since the time he left her in Urubaen and today had just exacerbated their situation. He needed to find those owl treats and fast. Perhaps Angela could help. She appeared to know that Hedwig was special…..something to look into then. Nevertheless he needed to focus on the Urgal before him before he decided to take offense at Harry's silence.

"I don't think you would be as easily crushed as you claim, Nar Garzhvog." Finally he remembered the name and just in time too! "From what I saw the Urgals are formidable fighters. If I ever feel the need I will call upon you and be grateful for any aid you can provide." He made his tone as formal as he could as he had no knowledge of Urgal customs and hoping what he did would suffice.

Nar Garzhvog seemed pleased by his answer though he wasn't too sure. It was damn difficult to read other species especially one whose features were so very different. That is the reason the goblins made excellent bankers and negotiators…you could never tell when they were bluffing or lying...as he had found out to his detriment.

The group meeting of the others had ended and Harry decided to approach to see what they were going to do. He also needed to be aware of what they had decided about him. Eragon was giving him worried looks perhaps because of the conversation he had been having with Nar, they hadn't been allies for long from what he remembered. Harry sent him a reassuring smile as he approached along with Nar. Before he could say a word their attention was drawn towards a commotion in front of the crowd.

"He is my brother and I would like to see if he is well…I am not lying damn you", it was a thickset person, brown haired who was the source of the noise and he appeared frustrated. He was whom Harry had saved just before engaging the bald magicians and also seen punch Eragon. Murtagh hadn't mentioned Eragon had a brother- a cousin then, probably. Wasn't his luck exceptionally good today! He had saved a king and a person who he thought was just a brave and foolish soldier but turned out to be the cousin of the Dragon rider he wished to ask favours of. He had also gained an ally in Nar. Just wonderful, though he should probably wait for the other shoe to drop. Nothing was ever so easy.

While he had been musing Nasuada had gestured to the guard to let the man through and he was now making his way towards Eragon. Harry saw he tried to angle his eyes in a way so as to avoid the many bodies littered on the ground- not very used to fighting then. Clever too, if even with his limited experience he had seen the value of taking out the bald magicians as Harry himself had deduced during the fight. When he reached Eragon the two conversed in low tones that were inaudible to even him over the noise of the crowd which had grown on seeing the man being let through.

Nasuada appeared to be getting ready to make a speech and was waiting for the crowd to quiet down. He could have used a canon charm but it would probably cause more panic. The soldier or perhaps General who had been with Nasuada was barking out orders and slowly with help from the others maintaining the perimeter, silence fell over the crowd.

"People of the Varden, today there was an assassination attempt on the leaders of all the races. When he failed to crush us with his might in a fair fight, Galbatorix seeks to strike from the shadow when we were least prepared. Even then, he failed." The crowd roared and she paused giving them their chance. She raised her hands and silence fell and Harry marvelled at the control she had over her people. Though young she was good and clearly very popular.

"These bodies you see before you were those sent to not only harm us but to break our bonds. To make us doubt our friends and those who had stood with us in our darkest hour. Yes. They are dwarves, but these are the traitors of their kind. Those banished long ago from their midst for heinous crimes…Vargrimist…the lowest of the low. And these are to whom Galbatorix turns when his might fails. Like begets like, I say. He was traitor and that is whom he turns to to do his dirty work- he was a traitor to his Order, a traitor to his race and is a traitor to the people he now rules." Harry could see a few pale faces in the crowd as they saw their leader denouncing the most powerful man they had heard of as a traitor. A few were glancing around nervously- even worlds away people did not change, he mused. Yet he could also make out those who were nodding their heads and looked thoughtful and berated himself for his pessimistic thoughts- there were always those willing to stand up against tyranny, a few bad eggs shouldn't be used as a measure of the whole lot. He drew his attention back to the speech.

"…He doesn't understand the bonds that keep us together, those forged in hardship, bonds of friendship and loyalty. Today together with all the free races we averted his underhanded attempt. Tomorrow, if he strikes we shall defeat him again, and again after that, till his power is broken and the people set free."

The crowd thundered in applause and Saphira roared her approval. Harry almost jumped, almost. He could feel Hedwig digging her talons into his shoulders; it must be difficult for her to be near a being so much bigger than her- a dragon especially. In his world they were not nearly as civilised as Saphira and Thorn- if such a word could be applied to a dragon. He sent over his his protective feelings and his determination to not let anything happen to her over the link and was rewarded with exasperation. She wasn't scared; not really, well if that is what she wanted to think.

He had forgotten about Saphira- how did he forget about a being that could eat him in a gulp? He had been distracted by the thought of new magic he admitted to himself and she had not contacted him mentally. She had probably remained in full contact with Eragon though and had voiced her thoughts through him.

He looked around and saw that the crowd was being dispersed. Most people had already got what they came for- a piece of news and were leaving willingly. The few curious ones who wanted to stay back were being turned around firmly by the guards. He knew as soon as that was done fully it would be time to deal with the leaders. They were standing a small distance off talking amongst themselves while looking at the dispersing crowd. As much as he wanted to ally with the Varden he wasn't in the mood for a long talk now, he had been fighting since morning, mostly against enemy magicians since killing the normal soldiers with magic was something he couldn't stomach as they were pretty much defenceless against him. Not that the magician's fared much better, he had hidden himself and had been able to sneak up on them and run them through quite easily, though finding them had been tough as they were adept at hiding among the normal soldiers they were protecting and he hadn't wanted to expose himself by using his mind or magic to find them. He hadn't used much magic so as to keep a low profile and because he wasn't sure of the effects of the clash of the two types of magic and a battle field was no place to experiment. So, lacking magic he had to make do with his sword, at least until the magician's lost enough concentration till their wards failed, and while he was sure to keep most of his wounds non-lethal he knew many would have died from the injuries due to the nature of the sword. He wasn't exhausted but he had taken a lot of lives today after a long time and it was something he had hoped that he would never have to do again. Though, he knew it was a futile hope. He pushed those thoughts away for later.

As the crowd dispersed the attention of the group that was left focused back on him. The newcomers must already have been informed of his name, but it would be polite to introduce himself fully, since even Eragon only knew his first name.

"My name is Lord Harry James of the Ancient and Noble House of Potter and I am a magician", he said using this world's terms for a wizard. Once he might have felt pompous using a title but he had realised that they could be a useful bargaining chip as it forced them to treat him as somewhat equal to them and not just somebody to be commanded. Also the titles, once he understood their meaning, were something that had been earned by his family and he was proud of it though none would realise their significance here. Moreover, it wasn't as if he was lacking in backing up the title with his magic, so there was no harm in using it. Of course since none would actually realise their significance here, he had left out the 'most' part in the titles. They always struck him as somewhat silly. He continued in the ancient language with the words he thought would prove his trust while also not binding him to any action that he didn't agree with. Once was enough for that sort of experience, he thought.

"I would like to ally with the Varden against Galbatorix since I believe we can help each other". He waited for Eragon to translate what he had said for the others, since he had spoken in the Ancient Language. It was Hrothgar who answered him.

"Well, that takes care of most of our concern." He said looking at the others who were nodding. Nasuada however did not seem to be convinced.

"It is true and the fact that you said it on your own is in your favour and the fact that you helped Eragon escape Murtagh. But you must understand that it can't be enough. What you said, and I am assuming Eragon translated correctly", she looked at Arya who nodded though she was frowning as was Eragon. Harry could hear a faint growl coming from Saphira. Didn't Nasuada trust Eragon? That was something to look into later. She continued. "What you said simply ensures that you are willing to fight with us and ally with us now, it says nothing about how your views may change in the future. And even leaving that, Eragon says that the king is looking for you. Murtagh fought with us during the battle of Farthen Dur but still was turned against us. What is to ensure that the same will not happen to you?"

Harry did not like where this was going but he had to admit that she had valid points. He could of course give a more comprehensive oath but he was loath to do anything that would bind him.

"Would you like someone to look into my mind? I will allow that but there are things I would rather keep private and whoever enters my mind would have to restrict themselves to a few memories. As for Galbatorix turning me, he enslaved Murtagh and Thorn by using their true names against them, Galbatorix doesn't know mine. To know that he would need to capture me and break into my mind which without my permission is very difficult. And even then he couldn't use it to command me"

"Didn't Galbatorix enter your mind when you were in Urubaen. Murtagh's words conveyed that he had a special interest in you. I doubt he wouldn't have tried? And why wouldn't he use your true name against you?", Arya asked.

"He did but he never really got past my defences though he believed he had. I could have let him in to see if I could overpower him but the mind is not a place to have a battle, especially with one an opponent of Galbatorix's calibre." Harry grimaced at the thought of having a battle in his mind…he still remembered Voldemort's and Snape's intrusions...not to mention the other esoteric magic he had been a vessel to. He also didn't mention that he could let someone in to see a few memories while hiding others…no need to let that particular cat out of the bag just yet.

"As for my true name, let's just say it is well protected in a very unique way. That method is something that cannot be taught" Harry finished again in the ancient language to reassure them that he was speaking the truth.

"I've never heard of a technique that allows you to fool someone in that fashion in your mind" Arya said looking at him disbelievingly, she couldn't protest the true name part because had said it in the ancient language though if her expression was anything to go by she would dearly like to. Eragon had translated his last sentence to the others while Arya was talking. Nasuada heard him out and then took continued from where Arya had left off.

"That is not really the issue right now. While your true name cannot be misused, this only proves that you believe what you say. Even if it were true, the others issue still remains. What is to say that you haven't already sworn an oath to Galbatorix and are doing this at his behest? Also, by your own admission, you held him off in your mind, so you could probably fool anybody here" she stopped. Harry nodded to show his understanding, he hadn't thought of this little complication. "Perhaps a vow of allegiance or loyalty to the Varden and a vow to not harm anyone here… That would ensure….", this was as far as she got before she was cut off by King Orrin, followed by Hrothgar.

"That is going too far Nasuada…he owes the Varden no such thing.." Orrin stopped when he realised that Hrothgar too was speaking against such a move.

"He has saved my life, Nasuada and while caution is warranted in times such as these, this is beyond that. There is no cause for him to bind himself in such a way." Nasuada seemed stunned at the opposition. It seems she hadn't anticipated this. She looked around to the others for support. The others it seemed were either too shocked as with Arya, though she didn't show it much, and Eragon or had barely hidden disapproval in their countenances like the new dwarf and the soldier who had joined them later on. Garzhvog had an impassive face which gave away nothing. Angela it seemed had the oddest reaction. She seemed to be holding back laughter before giving into it and that more than the outrage showed by Hrothgar and Orrin cooled Harry's simmering anger. All the others looked at her as if she was mad.

"An oath of loyalty, Nasuada..", she said holding back her laughter. "My…..haven't you grown to demand such a thing of one like him..., you could as well ask to tame a wildfire" and Harry felt his jaw drop at that proclamation. Thankfully everyone's attention was focused on the herbalist who seemed to have lost her humour and was dead serious now.

"If it is his mind that must be looked into, I can do that along with Arya and Eragon. That along with a repeat of the oath he has taken with some additions to ensure he is under no other oaths while I am in his mind should suffice to confirm his intentions. That is if Harry is still willing".

Harry nodded. Yes, that was an ingenuous way to check his truthfulness and loyalty. While the meaning of his words could be different if he simply took the oath, having someone in his mind to check his intentions when he took the oath would be a sure way to ensure his truthfulness. Harry could still try to bend the vow his way with Occlumency but it would be a very difficult task with no assured end, since he would have to simultaneously focus on the vow, his own intentions for it and what he wanted to show the person checking his mind, in this case it would be three which would further complicate things. A very difficult task but since Harry wasn't lying it was a moot point for him.

They spent some time haggling over the exact wording of the vow. Harry didn't want an and after they agreed on it Harry readied himself to take the vow. But before that he had to let them into his mind. He concentrated on the memories that he didn't mind them seeing, bringing them to the forefront of his mind, namely his time in Urubaen. Others he hid thoroughly along with the time he had spent practicing and experimenting with magic while he had been here, no need to give them more information than required. He hid the bulk of his journey from Urubaen, since he had used a lot of magics on the trip and while he would eventually have to reveal them, he would do so on his own terms and perhaps they would serve a purpose later. Besides hiding those also prevented any awkward questions that may be raised. Once done, he opened his mind.

He felt them enter his mind one at a time first Angela, then Eragon and then Arya as they had previously discussed. When Snape had entered Harry's mind for the first time in his fifth year, Harry had barely felt anything except the rush of memories and the blinding headache. This was mainly due to his inexperience with legilimency and Snape's anger at having to teach him which made his magic very vicious. Now however, after years of having practiced the art he could feel even the most subtle touches on his mind, and the touches of the three were distinct to him. One simply slipped into his mind with the least amount of disturbance and yet it had a strength and depth to it that was remarkable along with what felt like faint resonances, another was somewhat similar to the first but seemed to have more of a hypnotic quality that urged him to take a deeper look, the third was wilder and less controlled than the first two and somewhat lacking in depth, though all three were pretty strong. From what he knew Harry guessed the third belonged to Eragon with the short amount of time he had been practicing magic. However, he couldn't identify the owners of the first two not knowing them well enough, however if he had to take a guess he would bet his galleons on the second one belonging to Arya what with her being an elf. All three touches were different from what he had experienced in humans here and in wizards back home. He brought his attention back to his surroundings and seeing as the others were ready, he made his oath.

"I wish to ally myself with the resistance against Galbatorix and mean no harm to the resistance against him at this stage. I am not an ally of Galbatorix nor am I under any oaths to him or any who serve him. I have no thought to betray the resistance to Galbatorix or any other who serve under him."

Harry was particularly proud of the wording he had managed to wrangle. The Varden, particularly Nasuada and Orrin wanted reassurances that he wouldn't attack them or turn against them or oppose them in the future but he disagreed saying he knew nothing of them or their end goals and making such a vow would be foolish. In the end they had to settle for the vow that he did not mean them any harm and would not betray them to Galbatorix. Having Angela, Arya and Eragon in his mind further ensured that his intentions were not harmful to them.

As soon as he made the oath the three withdrew from his mind and nodded to the others and there was a palpable sense of relief that filled the clearing they were standing in. While they did not trust him nor him them fully, the foundation on which to build that trust had been laid.

A/N: Sorry for the late update. I just couldn't get the last part of the chapter right and I was really busy. But I know that is no excuse.

Anyway, the Hrothgar POV wasn't covered in this chapter mainly because I wanted things to happen from Harry's point of view so that the magic part could be explained fully and we could see as he analyzed it. Mainly so a basis can be set for how the systems of magics relate to one another. There will be more of it in later chapters.

The next chapter will see a short Hrothgar POV in the beginning, mainly to show what is happening about the dwarfs that attacked the leaders and Eragon and to get his views on Harry.

Any ideas on female lead for Eragon and her name would be appreciated. As will thoughts on Glaedr, Oromis, Thorn, Murtagh- who lives who dies. I am thinking of expanding the main cast a bit just so I can have a few people to kill off otherwise there is a feeling that too few people are killed during the war- or at least people we know. In canon Izlanzadi and Hrothgar were the only casualties and neither of them had major screen time. Roran, Katrina, Eragon, Saphira, Arya, Thorn, Murtagh, Blodhgram, Angela, Solebnum, Elva, Nasuada, Orrin, Orik- all of them survived. Even Blodhgram survived. Only Brom and Oromis truly died among what you would call main characters.

If you find a very obvious loophole in the oath please review or send me a PM.

Reviews are always appreciated.